SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Gonzaga's
Graham Ike was named to the Karl Malone Award Watch List. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the 20 watch-list candidates Thursday.
Named after Class of 2010 Hall of Famer and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Karl Malone, the annual honor in its 11th year recognizes the top power forwards in Division I men's college basketball. A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates in November, which has now been narrowed to 10.
Ike is 41 points from 2,000 in his career. He has started in 108 of his 115 career appearances. Last season led the WCC in field goal percentage (59.8), was third in scoring (17.3), and fifth in rebounding (7.3). He is coming off back-to-back First Team All-Conference selections. The Colorado native was named Preseason All-American by multiple outlets after earning the WCC Tournament Most Outstanding Player honor last year.
Malone attended Louisiana Tech University due to its close proximity to his hometown of Summerfield, Louisiana. He led the Bulldogs to a Sweet 16 appearance and earned All-Southland honors in his three seasons while averaging 18.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. Malone achieved great success during his 19 seasons in the NBA as a 14-time NBA All-Star (1988-98, 2000-02), 11-time All-NBA First Team player (1989-99) and a member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. He also won two Olympic gold medals (1992, 1996).
Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting in each of the three rounds starting on Friday. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2026 Karl Malone Award will be narrowed to 10, and then in late February, to just five. In March, the five finalists will be presented to Malone and the Hall of Fame's selection committee, where winners will be selected. The Selection Committee for the Karl Malone Award is composed of top men's college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.
The winner of the 2026 Karl Malone Award will be presented on a to be determined date, along with the other four members of the Men's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Bob Cousy Award (Point Guard), Jerry West Award (Shooting Guard), Julius Erving (Small Forward), and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award (Center).
Previous winners of the Karl Malone Award include Johni Broome, Auburn (2025), Jaedon LeDee, San Diego State (2024), Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana (2023), Keegan Murray, Iowa (2022), Timme (2021), Obi Toppin, Dayton (2020), Zion Williamson, Duke (2019), Deandre Ayton, Arizona (2018), Johnathan Motley, Baylor (2017), Georges Niang, Iowa State (2016) and Montrezl Harrell, Louisville (2015).
For more information on the 2026 Karl Malone Award and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophallu and #MaloneAward on X and Instagram.
Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Top 20 Preseason Watch List
| Koa Peat |
Arizona |
| Keyshawn Hall |
Auburn |
| Michael Rataj |
Baylor |
| Alex Karaban |
UConn |
| Cameron Boozer |
Duke |
| Alvaro Folgueiras |
Iowa |
| Graham Ike |
Gonzaga |
| Joseph Tugler |
Houston |
| Joshua Jefferson |
Iowa State |
| Malik Reneau |
Miami |
| Yaxel Lendeborg |
Michigan |
| Thomas Haugh |
Florida |
| Caleb Wilson |
North Carolina |
| Trey Kaufman-Renn |
Purdue |
| Baye Ndongo |
Georgia Tech |
| Bryce Hopkins |
St. John's |
| Donnie Freeman |
Syracuse |
| JT Toppin |
Texas Tech |
| Tyler Bilodeau |
UCLA |
| Nick Martinelli |
Northwestern |
